Missoula beekeepers develop app that ‘listens’ to a hive’s health

Honeybees can communicate the health of their colony by the frequency of their buzzing, and an app can help translate that to beekeepers thanks to a group of Missoula scientists.

The Bee Health Guru smartphone app listens to bee colonies and can report in seconds to a beekeeper whether the hives is well or ailing. The app can even tell if the queen has died, if the hive is infested with Varroa mites, or if the colony is failing. In all, it listens for eight different conditions, using a smartphone’s microphone.

Since 2006, 20 percent to 40 percent of bee colonies in the United States have suffered “colony collapse.” So scientists are always looking for a better means of assessing the health of a hive.

By Mari Hall